Device to condition rooms

ABSTRACT

A ceiling unit for cooling and illuminating a room comprises a shallow, oblong case divided into two equal parts by a partition. The upper end of each part has a central duct for connection, respectively, to a cool air supply and to the room in which the unit is mounted. The lower end of the first-named part is perforated, and a sound absorbing panel is secured to the inner end of the inlet duct above the perforations. The other part contains lamps and in its lower end has a slot for admitting air from the room to the outlet duct. A damper mounted in an opening in the partition permits the cooling and illuminating parts of the case to be interconnected selectively.

United States Patent Krook May 27, 1975 DEVICE TO CONDITION ROOMS [75] Inventor: Soren Sven Olof Krook, Billesholm, Primary Exammer v.vllham W Attorney, Agent, or FzrmShelsinger, Fitzsimmons & Sweden Shlesmger [73] Assignee: Gullfiber AB, Billesholm, Sweden 22 F] d: l 1, 7 I y 19 4 57 ABSTRACT [21 Appl. No.: 484,772

A ceiling unit for cooling and illuminating a room Related Apphcatmn Data comprises a shallow, oblong case divided into two Continuation Of 1973, equal parts by a partition. The upper end of each part abandonedhas a central duct for connection, respectively, to a cool air supply and to the room in which the unit is Forelgn Appllcatlon Priority Data mounted. The lower end of the first-named part is per- Nov. 13, 1972 Sweden 14727/72 forated, and a sound absorbing panel is secured to the inner end of the inlet duct above the perforations. The [52] US. Cl 98/40 DL; 240/9 A other part contains lamps and in its lower end has a [51] Int. Cl. F24f 13/06; F2lv 29/00 slot for admitting air from the room to the outlet duct. [58] Field of Search 98/40 DL, 40 D; 240/9 A, A damper mounted in an opening in the partition per- 240/47 mits the cooling and illuminating parts of the case to be interconnected selectively. [56] References Cited 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 3,326,112 6/1967 Sadlow et al. 98/40 DL 22 I4 I I0 12 26 20 I6 "7. /"/7/ f1? DEVICE TO CONDITION ROOMS This application is a continuation of my application Ser. No. 4l2,l8l, filed Nov. 2, 1973, now abandoned.

In large offices, so called landscapes, stores and the like, problems often arise as to surplus heat from lighting, people and machines, respectively. To solve this problem attempts have been made to design ventilated light fittings for ceilings, the cooling air then being drawn through the fittings for the purpose of removing heat generated therein. When the fitting, as usually is the case, is located in a ceiling, said ceiling was cooled completely or in sections by air and in some cases also by water. In this connection forced ventilation was used by drawing large quantities of somewhat cool air through said rooms from input passages in the ceiling and draught problems then arose. Also combinations of such cooling systems have been used, but related sound generation and sound absorption problems have not been satisfactorily solved.

The object of the present invention is to produce a light fitting design for ceilings permitting a controllable convection and radiation cooling, respectively, of the room while the fitting is effectively cooled to optimum luminous cffieiency and including a high-grade sound absorption feature. This is essentially obtained by mounting in the ceiling of the room at least one boxlike, oblong case which is divided by a partition into two parts, suitably of the same size, each of said parts having in the top side thereof a central connection pas sageway or duct for input and output air, respectively, that part of the case, which includes the input passageway. preferably having a perforated bottom and comprising a layer of sound absorbing material positioned a small distance above said perforated bottom, and the other part of said case comprising the light fitting and having one or more openings communicating with the room, and via a partition opening controlled by a damper. being connectable directly to the inlet side of said case.

The invention will be explained below in more detail with reference being made to a preferred embodiment disclosed as an example in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 discloses fragmcntarily a ,vertical section taken along line l-l in FIG. 2 through a light fitting or ceiling unit made according to one embodiment of the invention and adapted to be mounted in a ceiling; and

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of said unit as seen from below. and having a portion of the lamp cover cut away.

In the drawing reference numeral represents a box-like, oblong case of sheet-metal, plastic or the like intended to make part of said ceiling. The length of the case is approximately twice the width thereof. as seen in a horizontal projection, the case then by a partition 12 being divided into two parts of approximately the same size. one part 14 having a suitable central inlet passageway or channel 16 for fresh air and the other part I8 having an outlet passageway or channel 20. Suitably the dimensions of the case approximately amount to L200 X (all) X 100 mm. In the air inlet part 14 of the case the passageway I6 projects somewhat into the interior of the part 14 and at the level of its mouth is surrounded by a layer 22 of a sound absorbing material. such as mineral fibers. said layer extending horizontally over the total cross sectional area of part I4. At the lower end said case I0 is open and in part 14 the bottom said thereof is covered by a sheet or plate 24, such as made, e.g., of plaster, and having perforations 25. A central portion of plate 24 below said passageway 16 is non-perforated and covered by a membrane to force the air passing through said passageway to distribute to the sides. The sound absorbent layer 22 absorbs sound passing up through the perforations in plate 24 from the room.

Part 18 of the case comprises the light fitting, usually in the form of several fluorescent lamps 26 being parallel to each other. Most of the lower end of the part 18 is covered by a dazzle shield in the form a thin plate 28, which, for example, is made of transluscent plastic in a manner known per se. Said dazzle shield closes the lower end of part 18 except for a portion adjacent the outer, short side of shield 28 where there is formed a slot 30 for removing air from the room through passageway 20. Partition 12 includes a valve, such as a flap or check valve 32, which is pivoted along the bottom of the partition, and extends transversely across the whole width of the casev between parts 14 and 18 thereof.

The function of the device is as follows: Through conduit 16 conditioned air and fresh air, respectively, is supplied in relatively small amounts and at a cool temperature of for example 10C. When damper 32 is closed the total amount of air passes down into the room through the perforations 25 of the lowermost plate 24. Thus, when doing so, the cooling effect of the air will prove of maximum use to the room in the form of convective cooling, and also to some extent in the form of radiation cooling by the fact that plate 24 will assume approximately the same temperature as the inlet air, and to some extent will thus balance that heat radiated or emitted by fitting 26 in the other part 18. An amount of air corresponding to the air supplied to the room is evacuated through the slot 30 to the outlet air passageway 20, the lamps 26 thereby to some extent being cooled.

In case, on the other hand, damper 32 is fully open, most of the cold air will pass directly into the case 18 in order to cool lamps 26. In this connection the device functions essentially as a radiation cooler relative to the room situated below, and the light fitting 18 can be cooled down to and also below room temperature. In the middle position of the damper 32 various combinations of convection and radiation cooling are obtained. The damper may be controlled by rapid, electrical means and can be adjusted and readjusted by a bimetal motor means or manually.

According to the invention the main part of the heat emitted by the light fitting can be removed directly and thus it can be withheld from the room. By combining ventilation and cooling at system forming a single unit. the design of the installation will be simpler and the maintenance and operation costs will be reduced. By the effective cooling of the lamp fitting the most favorable operation temperature for the fluorescent lamps is obtained at a maximum of luminous flux, which reduces operation costs for the lighting, both by permitting a reduced number of fittings per unit area, and by prolonging the useful life of the fluorescent lamps.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A ceiling device to air condition rooms comprising a box like, oblong case adapted to be mounted in the ceiling of a room,

a partition in said case extending parallel to the short sides thereof and dividing said case into two parts. each of said parts having in the top side thereof a central passageway for connection to imput and output air. respectively. and the bottom of the part of the ease including the input passageway having therein a plurality of perforations.

a layer of a sound absorbing material positioned in the first-mentioned part of the case a small distance above its perforated bottom,

the other part of said case comprising the light fitting and having one or more openings communicating with the room in which the device is mounted. and

a movable damper mounted in an opening in said partition and movable selectively to connect said other part of the case to said first-mentioned part of the case.

2. A ceiling device as defined in claim I. wherein the portion of said bottom registering with said air input passageway in said first-mentioned part is solid and is surrounded by said perforations.

3. A ceiling device as defined in claim 2, said bottom of said first-mentioned part being made of a material which assumes a temperature approximately equal to the temperature of the input air thereby to cool the room by radiation cooling as well as by convection.

4. A ceiling device to air condition rooms. comprising a bowlike. oblong case adapted to be mounted in the ceiling of a room.

a partition in said case extending parallel to short sides thereof and dividing said case into two parts. each of said parts having in the top side thereof a central passageway for connection to input and output air. respectively. and the bottom of the part of the ease including the input passageway having therein a plurality of perforations. the other part of said case comprising the light fitting and having one or more openings communicating with the room in which the device is mounted, and a movable damper mounted in an opening in said partition and movable selectively to connect said other part of the case to the first-mentioned part oi the case. 

1. A ceiling device to air condition rooms comprising a box-like, oblong case adapted to be moUnted in the ceiling of a room, a partition in said case extending parallel to the short sides thereof and dividing said case into two parts, each of said parts having in the top side thereof a central passageway for connection to imput and output air, respectively, and the bottom of the part of the case including the input passageway having therein a plurality of perforations, a layer of a sound absorbing material positioned in the firstmentioned part of the case a small distance above its perforated bottom, the other part of said case comprising the light fitting and having one or more openings communicating with the room in which the device is mounted, and a movable damper mounted in an opening in said partition and movable selectively to connect said other part of the case to said first-mentioned part of the case.
 2. A ceiling device as defined in claim 1, wherein the portion of said bottom registering with said air input passageway in said first-mentioned part is solid and is surrounded by said perforations.
 3. A ceiling device as defined in claim 2, said bottom of said first-mentioned part being made of a material which assumes a temperature approximately equal to the temperature of the input air thereby to cool the room by radiation cooling as well as by convection.
 4. A ceiling device to air condition rooms, comprising a box-like, oblong case adapted to be mounted in the ceiling of a room, a partition in said case extending parallel to short sides thereof and dividing said case into two parts, each of said parts having in the top side thereof a central passageway for connection to input and output air, respectively, and the bottom of the part of the case including the input passageway having therein a plurality of perforations, the other part of said case comprising the light fitting and having one or more openings communicating with the room in which the device is mounted, and a movable damper mounted in an opening in said partition and movable selectively to connect said other part of the case to the first-mentioned part of the case. 